The Darling Family Takes on Marathon Weekend: Jan at the Boardwalk Villas

[3prettyprincesses]

Another fabulous update! Want to know what I find so amusing? That you're SMILING in all of these pictures! Seriously, you make running that marathon look easy! And I'm sure it's not but you always have such a nice smile on your face, you really were enjoying it, weren't you. Amazing! I can imagine that incline felt like Mt. Everest after 20 miles of running! I'm impressed. Had it been me, I'd have been doing the crawl, not the walk, to the finish line! Great job, you're almost to the end!

Thanks for posting the lyrics to "Eye of the Tiger"! I've often wondered what the words were, I used to sing it as little girl but of course I mumbled through the parts I didn't know the words to.

 

[DisneyDreamerMom]

I love the gravedigger pics - I don't blame you for not laying down. I'd have never gotten up either! I'm so impressed that you continued to soldier on. That's a lot of mileage!

 

[dismagiclover]

Doing great!!! thats awesome you were able to get pictures with the family during your marathon Also Mickey and Minnie look pretty darn cute in those outfits!!

Having my family there was one of the highlights!

Another fabulous update! Want to know what I find so amusing? That you're SMILING in all of these pictures! Seriously, you make running that marathon look easy! And I'm sure it's not but you always have such a nice smile on your face, you really were enjoying it, weren't you. Amazing! I can imagine that incline felt like Mt. Everest after 20 miles of running! I'm impressed. Had it been me, I'd have been doing the crawl, not the walk, to the finish line! Great job, you're almost to the end!

Thanks for posting the lyrics to "Eye of the Tiger"! I've often wondered what the words were, I used to sing it as little girl but of course I mumbled through the parts I didn't know the words to.

I know it sounds crazy, but I really was having fun! Yes I was tired, but it never quit being fun!

I love the gravedigger pics - I don't blame you for not laying down. I'd have never gotten up either! I'm so impressed that you continued to soldier on. That's a lot of mileage!

At this point in the race there seemed to be no other choice but to just keep going. There was no way I was going to quit after all the sweat and tears I'd put into this thing!

 

[dismagiclover]

Shortly after I passed Mile 21 my phone rang. (Yes. I was taking calls.) It was DH checking up on me. They’d arrived back at the room and were trying to figure out when would be a good time to head down to the Boardwalk to look for me. I assured them they had plenty of time. I talked to each of the kids. (Yes. I was taking lengthy calls.) While I was talking to Wendy she heard some guy yelling like a drill sergeant. Wendy said, “Who is that yelling?” I told her I would take a picture of him for her and then she could see. So here he is.

He commended me for my skill on taking a picture, talking on the phone and walking all at the same time. (He might have been more impressed if I was actually running.) This is a tangent, but there is a great video on you tube of the 2011 marathon and it shows a guy dropping for push ups when he sees this guy. Classic. Only at Disney. Here is the link for anyone interested. 2011 Disney Marathon Anyway, after finishing my call I kept trudging along. Who did I see?

It’s the woman with the bucket list shirt I mentioned way back in my pre Magic Kingdom update. (Which was 327 updates ago.) Since this was about the 6th time I passed her I decided to take a picture. I said hello and then whizzed on by. Mile 22 was upon us.

I got a bit emotional as I hit Mile 22. We were almost to Hollywood Studios and from everything I’d read before the race most people felt that once you hit Hollywood Studios as long as you were moving you were golden. There was no sweeping after this point. (For those of you that don’t know, if you don’t maintain a 16 minute mile pace during the race you can be pulled off the course anytime. Disney does do this. They pick up the slow pokes, transport them to the finish line, and they don’t receive a medal.) In all of my training I’d just think, “OK. If I make it to Mile 22, the Mickey Medal is as good as mine.” Here I was at Mile 22. We turned the corner and headed into the backstage area. I’m pretty sure we were on the area that they run the Backlot Tour. Having never actually gone on the Backlot Tour this is just an educated guess. We ran through a tunnel with windows showing what looked to be a costuming department. When we popped out there were some new people for me to meet. Who was it?

It’s Russell! I was so excited to meet him! I loved the movie UP, but I’d never met any of the characters. Too bad Russell’s balloons couldn’t fly me to the finish. Next came the biggest “get” of the entire race. At least as far as my boys are concerned. So far the only time these characters have ever been at Meet ‘n Greets is in the Disney races. Who are they?

Phineas and Ferb!!!!!!!!!!! Running 26.2 miles was totally worth it just to meet them. A short jaunt down the way we hit mile 23.

Wow! Mile 23! That meant I only had basically a 5K left. Pretty unbelievable! Another character was waiting for us just before we entered the area of the park with guests.

Then we turned the corner and we were here.

You can see lots of the Osborne lights were still up. During the Wine ‘n Dine Half they were actually on since that is a night race. We wound through the park and once again we had people cheering for us. I actually took a running break in this park. Here is my proof.

However, then I saw someone that stopped me dead in my tracks. It was a Photopass guy! Now those of you that have read my previous trip reports know that I have a Photopass problem. He was just standing there in the middle of the street. I think he was a bit surprised when I stopped and asked him to take a picture, but he obliged. Here is what I got.

Those are definitely worth stopping for! So I carried on. Here I am putting my newly acquired photo pass card in my handy belt.

We made a turn and headed into the backstage where a one of a kind meet ‘n greet awaited.

The cast of Beauty and the Beast. Pretty cool, don’t you think? OK. I was done with Hollywood Studios. All that was left was the path to Epcot and the World Showcase. Would this race ever end? Or a better question is will my race updates ever end?

 

[carissanboys]

That picture with the cast of Beauty and the Beast is way cool!

You were having so much fun it almost makes me want to try a marathon someday. Now if I could just get running again.

 

[mla1977]

I love it how while I was reading your report last year, we passed each other somewhere around mile 7 and this time I think we passed each other somewhere around mile 22!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

Yay another great race update! I it looks like you're almost done and you met a ton of characters too!!!

 

[MagicShell]

Those meets look like so much fun! We love Phineas and Ferb, but I don't think I could bring myself to run a marathon even for them. You look great in your photopass pictures.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

If it weren't for all that running, I'd love to try a marathon someday. Very cool! I especially love the photo w/ the B&B cast!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Phineas and Ferb! WOOT!

Ok, I was thinking to myself yesterday, after a little 2.5 mile run how amazing your pictures look after 20something miles! I was dripping with sweat after my 30 minute run, red-faced, and a huge mess when I looked in the mirror and decided you must have been carrying around makeup and a brush on the marathon!

 

[torsie24]

Eeee! I'm so excited for you being so close to the finish! I think I might get a little emotional when you do. What a great achievement!

 

[Shannon84]

YAY!! you are doing great...the more I read the more i realize how great of an accomplishment it is to do the 26.2 miles!! I mean looking back at the half, I cant imagine doing double that!!

 

[dvc4life]

I am just so excited for you that you are almost to the finish line. And that photo from Beauty & The Best is just pricless. How cool is that.

Can't wait to see you finish.

 

[dismagiclover]

That picture with the cast of Beauty and the Beast is way cool!

You were having so much fun it almost makes me want to try a marathon someday. Now if I could just get running again.

I like the Beauty and the Beast picture too. And it was tons of fun, but I was pretty tired.

I love it how while I was reading your report last year, we passed each other somewhere around mile 7 and this time I think we passed each other somewhere around mile 22!

Did you look in my pictures? Maybe you are there! Too bad we didn't recognize each other. It would have been fun to have a little impromptu DIS meet.

Yay another great race update! I it looks like you're almost done and you met a ton of characters too!!!

I'm super close now! It was great to have all the character meets to distract me.

Those meets look like so much fun! We love Phineas and Ferb, but I don't think I could bring myself to run a marathon even for them. You look great in your photopass pictures.

Rumor is Phineas and Ferb will be coming into the parks for meet 'n greets this summer. So you won't have to run a marathon to meet them

If it weren't for all that running, I'd love to try a marathon someday. Very cool! I especially love the photo w/ the B&B cast!

Yes, the running does get a bit pesky during the marathon If it weren't for all the running I'd do it every year!

 

[dismagiclover]

Phineas and Ferb! WOOT!

Ok, I was thinking to myself yesterday, after a little 2.5 mile run how amazing your pictures look after 20something miles! I was dripping with sweat after my 30 minute run, red-faced, and a huge mess when I looked in the mirror and decided you must have been carrying around makeup and a brush on the marathon!

You are too kind! The reason I'm not sweating is because the temps were so good. Now if it had been hot, I would be a sweaty mess! Plus remember at this point the race has become more of a stroll. I promise I don't have a brush or any makeup on me

Eeee! I'm so excited for you being so close to the finish! I think I might get a little emotional when you do. What a great achievement!

Crossing the finish line was an incredibly emotional experience for me! And of course you are going to hear all about it

YAY!! you are doing great...the more I read the more i realize how great of an accomplishment it is to do the 26.2 miles!! I mean looking back at the half, I cant imagine doing double that!!

The marathon is a really great accomplishment. I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging, but it is something to be incredibly proud of and I commend everyone that completes one. I especially commend those that complete one in 5 hours or less

I am just so excited for you that you are almost to the finish line. And that photo from Beauty & The Best is just pricless. How cool is that.

Can't wait to see you finish.

The finish will be coming up very soon now! Kind of sad to end it though. It is so great to relive it!

 

[mickeystoontown]

You are looking great for a lady who has run over 20 miles! I know I'd be looking like a hot mess. The last few characters that you met were definitely worth the wait....Russell, Sulley, Phineas and Ferb and the Beauty and the Beast characters! Love 'em all.

 

[mermaid764]

Wow what an amazing lineup of characters you were able to meet.

How exciting that the finish line is not too far off

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

What awesome characters pictures in Hollywood Studios! I love that you were able to get a photo with the cast of Beauty and the Beast. That is such a unique opportunity! Love your Photopass session!

 

[dismagiclover]

You are looking great for a lady who has run over 20 miles! I know I'd be looking like a hot mess. The last few characters that you met were definitely worth the wait....Russell, Sulley, Phineas and Ferb and the Beauty and the Beast characters! Love 'em all.

The only reason I'm not looking like a hot mess is that it was cool that day! That last bunch of characters really were a treat! And there were no lines for them! By this point I guess most people just wanted to get to the finish line. I was having so much fun I wanted to prolong the race

Wow what an amazing lineup of characters you were able to meet.

How exciting that the finish line is not too far off

The finish line is just around the corner. Another couple of updates and I'll actually get there!

What awesome characters pictures in Hollywood Studios! I love that you were able to get a photo with the cast of Beauty and the Beast. That is such a unique opportunity! Love your Photopass session!

The funny thing about the Beauty and the Beast cast is that I was so tired I didn't even realize what they were until later. I recognized Belle, Gaston, Cogsworth and Lumiere, but I wasn't quite sure who all the others were supposed to be. It didn't click until later that this was the actual cast of the show

 

[Queenofallthings]

Great pics again....cannot believe the characters that you met! The entire cast of Beauty and the Beast...I would have been so happy I would have gone straight into the ugly cry....that is my all time favorite movie!!!